Exemplary embodiments relate to a memory system and a method of operating the same and, more particularly, to a memory system and a method of operating the same which are capable of reducing power consumption.
A memory system may include a memory device and a memory controller for controlling the operation of the memory device. The memory device has varying operating characteristics depending on its manufacture process. For this reason, the memory device sets parameters in terms of operating conditions, such as the operating characteristic, in a nonvolatile memory region, reads the parameters from the memory region when power is supplied, and stores the read parameters in the register of a control circuit within the memory device. The memory device operates under conditions set based on the parameters stored in the register.
In a NAND flash memory device, parameters related to an operating characteristic are stored in a content addressed memory (hereinafter referred to as a ‘CAM’) block. When power is supplied, the parameters are read from the CAM block and stored in the register of a control circuit within the NAND flash memory device. In a program operation, an erase operation, or a read operation, the control circuit controls an operation for data storage, data read, or data erasure for memory cells based on the parameters stored in the internal register.
Such an operation where the parameters of the CAM block are stored in the register of the control circuit when power is supplied may be referred to as a ‘CAM read operation’. Power consumption may increase owing to the CAM read operation.
A memory system may have the largest amount of power consumption in a state that both a memory controller and a memory device are in the active mode. When the memory controller is in the idle mode and the memory device is in the active mode, the power consumption may decrease. In a state that the memory controller is in the idle mode and the memory device is turned off, the memory system may have the smallest amount of power consumption.
When a memory system switches between those states, a memory device always performs the CAM read operation. In other words, the CAM read operation may be performed even when operating conditions of the memory device are maintained, thereby increasing power consumption.